Oasis Brisas Santa Lucia Resort My partner and I, a couple around 70 years of age, plus or minus, flew with Sunwing from Pearson airport in Toronto, Canada to Camaguey, Cuba on Feb. 1, 2010 to begin a two-week stay at the above hotel. We arrived after dark due to flight schedules, cleared customs with minimum delay, and took the 1 1/2 hour bus transfer to the hotel, a location we were familiar with from a previous visit. Despite the late hour (after midnight) we were processed quickly, given our wrist-bands and referred to the after-hours snack restaurant and bar. The next two weeks were filled with opportunities to enjoy the lovely white sand beach (groomed daily), scenic pools, always-sumptuous buffets and off-property bicycle excursions to neighbouring places of interest. Evenings we enjoyed the nightly stage show, which was occasionally (not always) a marvellous spectacle of Cuban song and dance, which is what we enjoyed the most. The culmination of our holiday began the first Friday we were there (Feb. 5) when the celebration of Santa Lucia Day took place with a wonderful fiesta of live music, dancers and entertainers in the Centro Comercial. It turned out that this was just a prelude to a whole series of celebrations and competitions leading up to their Mardi Gras or Carnaval the following week-end. Sponsored by a consortium of the local resorts, vendors and entertainers converged on a common area for festivities lasting far into the small hours each night. This was an occasion for Cubans and tourists alike to join in side-by-side, and we thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of it. Our resort participated big-time by arranging a buffet which, without exaggeration, had to be the best I’ve ever had in Cuba, followed by a magnificent stage show which blew our minds. Not much has been said about the quality of accommodations, food and service, all of which were a credit to their management. We have come to take these for granted in Cuba, which has never disappointed us. An accident of timing caused us to be present when the weather co-operated (plus 30 C most days) and the annual Mardi Gras was on, making for an unforgettable holiday. We can’t wait to book again next February…
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